Academy Journal, Spring 2024

The Ac ademy Journal

LAWRENCE ACADEMY SPRING 2024

An Academy, A Campus, A Home

Board of Trustees

Jason Saghir P’19, President

Phyllis Rothschild P’20, Vice President

Karen Mitchell Brandvold ’82; P’16, ’17, Secretary

David Stone ’76, Treasurer

Robert Achtmeyer ’97

Pamela Amusa ’06

Katherine Beede P’16

Melissa Bois P’22

G. Randall Chamberlain ’79

Cyrus Daftary P’25

Brit Dewey P’26

Susanna Gallant P’20, ’24

Hise Gibson P’24

Courtney Cox Harrison ’83

Kiyohiko Hirose ’94; P’22

Bradford Hobbs ’82

Robin Jones P’25

Greg Lauze ’00

Douglas Long P’15, ’18

Bruce MacNeil ’70; P’04

David Mazza ’01

Michael McLaughlin P’23, ’23, ’25

Catie Floyd McMenamin ’97

Peter Myette P’00, ’03

Kana Norimoto P’26

Devin O’Reilly P’24

Taylor Sele ’02

Edward Steinborn P’23

Richard Tyson, Jr. ’87

HONORARY TRUSTEES

Lucy Crocker Abisalih ’76

George Chamberlain III P’79, ’81

Albert Gordon, Jr. ’59

Alumni Council

Pat Donoghue ’06, Chair

Victor Howell ’08, Vice Chair

Marcelous Atmore ’07

Marianne Balfour ’88

Ryan Betro ’18

Paul Husted ’64

Lindsay Latuga Howard ’00

Clare Noone ’14

Annie Steward McGuire ’03

Kevin McDonald ’70

Renee Perkins ’16

Ben Stone ’15

Tori Wellington Hanna ’97

Editorial Team

Beth Crutcher, director of advancement

Caitlin O’Brien P’26, director of advancement communications and special projects

Anne O’Connor ’78

Joseph Sheppard P’93, ’94, retired faculty

Editorial Council

John Bishop, director of communications

Prudence Glover, program manager for alumni advancement

Ben Rogers ’02, director of alumni advancement

Angela Stefano, editorial consultant

Layout/Design/Production

Dale Cunningham P’13, graphic designer

Photography

Jon Chase

Jonathan Gotlib, associate director of communications

Bob Perachio

The longer I have lived on the Lawrence Academy campus, the more I have been struck by its particular character — a character that feels something like a destined meeting point. In the scale of years, you have the intersection of a 230-plusyear past with the very real-time present of high school life in action. In the scale of the planet, I learned in an environmental science class that the dividing line between the Nashua River watershed and the Merrimack River watershed runs subtly yet quite directly through the Quad.

Even these rather cosmic references do not capture the deep, true sense of home that grounds the experience of living and learning at LA. As you become familiar with the campus, you start to feel it in the collection of buildings — some converted homes of Groton citizens, some school houses built over time by the Academy. Over the years, the campus has grown into little communities: that cluster at the top of the hill as you enter; the Quad itself; what we refer to as “The Neighborhood” of faculty houses on Academy Drive; newer properties such as “The Orchard” and “LA South.”

Familiarity and feeling deepen with the people. The critical mass of high school students make this a particularly vital place of living and learning. The faculty children who are not (yet) LA students — newborns, toddlers, tweens — fill the campus with the truest sense of familiarity. In fact, we are a growing family. Even in the quietest days of a winter, spring, or summer break, there is growing up happening on the LA campus, and this simple habit of becoming is a sure quality of home.

This Academy Journal celebrates the varied ways in which Lawrence Academy serves as a home: through the care that goes into the health and safety of community members;

through alumni who return to the setting of their own development to care for the development of others; through donors and stewards of the school who have helped and will continue to help build an educational home for future generations. There is a simplicity to all of this activity, but there is also depth.

Lawrence Academy has a grounded, generous, welcoming quality of place. The campus can be home to families living on campus, to boarding students from different countries, to day students from down the street, to any family who wants to connect to what the school creates, provides, sustains, and shares. True to our founding and to our motto, the collection of buildings and green space on top of “Academy Hill” is a welcome and illuminated space “for all the classes of citizens.”

Here’s a closing reference from the poet Philip Larkin. We celebrate this meeting point of watersheds and human growth

“in whose blent air all our compulsions meet, Are recognized, and robed as destinies. And that much can never be obsolete, Since someone will forever be surprising A hunger in himself to be more serious, And gravitating with it to this ground, Which, he once heard, was proper to grow wise in…”

Here’s to a great place to grow up and to grow wise.

FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL DAN SCHEIBE P’23

Much Appreciation for Our Parents

Fall Family Weekend

October 13-14 was Fall Family Weekend, which gives families a chance to see firsthand what their students experience daily and to get to know their teachers, advisors, and other community members. Campus was buzzing with excitement as families joined their students for classes, meals, advisor conferences, and games.

Community Holiday Party

On November 16, the Parents’ Association and the Alumni Council teamed up — for the first time — to host a holiday party for the LA community at East Meets West at The Exchange in Boston’s Seaport District. Attendees enjoyed a night of socializing and ringing in the holiday season with good food, drinks, and LA cheer. We are looking forward to making this an annual tradition!

Walk & Learn Class Dinners

Lawrence Academy’s traditional Fall Class Dinners afford families the opportunity to meet new friends, reconnect with old ones, receive updates about the school, and learn what to expect from their students during the year. This year, in addition to dinner on the Park House lawn, parents were treated to a walk-and-learn presentation on the Community Commons project by Head of School Dan Scheibe, featuring a Commons slideshow followed by a tour of the dining hall.

Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day

On Valentine’s Day, we celebrated Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day. Parent volunteers went above and beyond organizing the event and decorating the Media Conference Center for this beloved tradition. Thanks to generous donations from parents, all faculty and staff members received a handwritten note from a student, a gift card to a local Groton establishment, and a chance to win a raffle item.

LA at a Glance

September 22

First Responders Club Field Trip

Five of Lawrence Academy’s First Responders Club students attended the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Never Forget Mobile Exhibit in Quincy, Mass., and had the opportunity to talk with retired NYFD firefighter David Turner, who was at Ground Zero following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. (See page 16 to learn more about the First Responders Club.)

October 27

Founders’ Day

Each year, Lawrence Academy celebrates Founders’ Day. More than a birthday or anniversary celebration, it celebrates community, the school’s motto, and those who allow LA’s “light to shine for all.” Congratulations to this year’s award recipients: Lisa Fei, winner of the Kathy Peabody Memorial Book Award; Erin Lawler, recipient of the Departmental Chair for Excellence in Teaching; Kinh Kieu ’24, winner of the Greater Good Award; and Barbara Brammer ’75, P’06, recipient of the Founders’ Day Award for Service to Lawrence Academy (see page 17).

October 12

National Hispanic Heritage Month

The Library Squad held its annual open mic on the terrace for National Hispanic Heritage Month. Performances included songs, poems, and quotes celebrating Hispanic writers, performers, and philosophers.

October 30

Spoon Hunt and Spirit Week

The last week of October marked the beginning of two of LA’s favorite fall traditions: Spoon Hunt and Spirit Week.

Lisa Fei and Family

Erin Lawler Kinh Kieu ’24

Barbara Brammer ’75; P’06

November 6

Girls in Arts Leadership Summit

Ms. Mordeno and five students attended the 2023 Girls in Arts Leadership Summit at Cushing Academy. The students had the opportunity to meet other students and facilitators from schools around New England and take part in different activities throughout the day.

November 30

Student Diversity Leadership Conference

Student leaders from our Concordia programs, along with Mr. Canty, Ms. Majeski, Mr. Bell, and Ms. Schulze, traveled to St. Louis for the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference.

December 13

For the Love of Erika

With a generous donation from the Groton-Pepperell Rotary Club and in partnership with For the Love of Erika, Lawrence Academy’s Community Service Advisory Board purchased more than $800 worth of toys and gift cards for 55 families in need during the holiday season.

December 11

Athletic Leadership Affinity Space

Lawrence Academy welcomed back Demitri Jackson ’16, who was on campus to speak with our Athletic Leadership Affinity Space members and ISL Changemakers about the importance of sportsmanship, conversation, and mutual understanding while competing in the Independent School League and, of course, representing LA.

January 8

American Astronomical Society Conference

Mr. Strasburger and a group of students traveled to the American Astronomical Society Conference in New Orleans. Mr. Strasburger spoke highly of our Spartans’ experience at the event, noting that they “did an amazing job of processing highly technical talks on subjects ranging from pulsars to exoplanets to dark matter and connecting personally with scientists across the field and discussing their research at poster sessions.”

LA at a Glance, cont.

January 12

Spartans Got Talent Show

At Lawrence Academy’s sixth annual Spartans Got Talent show, performances ranged from choreographed dance numbers, singing, and electric guitar playing to yo-yo tricks, aerial silks, and a Lady Gaga medley to round out the show.

January 31

Dining Hall Treats

The dining hall team set up hot chocolate, marshmallows, and whipped cream on the Quad, providing our students with a warm treat on a chilly day.

January 15

Working with Boutwell Early Childhood Center

As part of LA’s week-long celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the school community answered this year’s theme of “What will you do for others?” Students, faculty, and alumni collected books for the Boutwell Early Childhood Center in Groton, and thanks to LA community members, the center’s new library was painted and assembled.

February 5

Ski Trip

Our international students traveled to Ragged Mountain for their annual ski trip. Students had the option to share in the fun by bringing along a “plus one” from school.

February 10

Lunar New Year Celebration

Our international students hosted a Lunar New Year celebration in MacNeil Lounge. Activities included calligraphy, paper cutting, pot pitching, dumpling making, hot pot, diabolo, games, and more.

February 13

Park House Party

Mr. Scheibe invited students and faculty over to Park House for a snow day party, complete with Crumbl Cookies and a cozy fire.

February 14

Blind Date with a Book

The Library Squad hosted their Blind Date with a Book event in the library during lunch. Students who attended enjoyed books, desserts, and music.

February 21

Black History Month Panel

In honor of Black History Month, the Office of Equity and Community Life and the Moral Courage Task Force (MCTF) hosted a panel featuring Black faculty members, facilitated by MCTF members Maddie Gibson ’24 and Anthony Coston ’24. The panelists spoke about their personal histories and experiences.

ARTS AT LA FALL

AND WINTER TERM

ATHLETICS AT LA

FALL AND WINTER TERM

Bowl

by John Bishop

With their 25-18 victory over St. Paul’s School in the 2023 Kevin McDonald Bowl, Lawrence Academy’s varsity football team earned back-to-back NEPSAC bowl victories and added yet another piece of high-powered hardware to the trophy case in the Stone Athletic Center.

“The guys were focused,” was Head Coach Jason Swepson’s straightforward answer to questions about the adversity his Spartans faced in the postseason. “That’s what it was — they wanted this win and a win on the seniors’ final home game. I’m just so happy for that group.”

One of the players in that group, Mike Landolfi ’24, doubled down on his coach’s words and described the mood in the locker room even before the Spartans took the field.

from New Hampshire around the frigid turf on Murbach Field. However, Swepson, noting some of the ups and downs of LA’s regular season, knew that nothing in the ISL is a given, especially in postseason play.

“You’ve just got to stay focused,” said the coach. “We’ve got a coachable team, and they just executed when we needed to.”

“The guys were focused. That’s what it was — they wanted this win and a win on the seniors’ final home game. I’m just so happy for that group.”

Coach Swepson

“It’s a bowl game,” explained the Boston College-bound senior. “It’s a championship game, you know? Everyone was laserfocused — we really wanted this one. And there was no way NEPSAC would bring a trophy here and we would let St. Paul’s take it off campus ...We just had to execute, and that’s exactly what we did.”

The Spartans did all that — and then some — as the navy blue, red, and white pushed the formidable Sons of Hobey

However, accolades filtered throughout the lineup. “Start with Tavian Fenderson ’24 with a nice catch to keep a drive going; Cole Nelson ’24 running the ball inside the tackles,” Swepson said, fighting through the on-field adrenaline fog after the win.

“You know, Brady Scott ’27 with the interception at the end; the offensive line and the defense played well.”

But in the end, Swepson’s thoughts quickly returned to his seniors, many of whom played through several lean years and COVID-marred seasons. “You start with four seniors that have been here for four years,” said Swepson as he thought about the 2023 campaign and what he’ll commit to permanent memory. “Dom Selvitelli ’24, Trent Jackson ’24, Tavian, and Mikey Gregoire ’24 ... I’m just excited for them to leave as champions.”

#GoLASpartans

Supporting Independents

Independent Afternoon Activities Complement LA’s Regular Programming

by Caitlin O’Brien

Both athletics and performing arts are an important part of Lawrence Academy’s mission and a natural extension of the classroom experience. They promote a healthy mind, body, and character and provide opportunities for students of varying skill levels to experience exercise, discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and personal growth. All students must participate in an afternoon activity each term, so LA strives to provide a variety of opportunities; however, if a student wishes to pursue an activity not offered at Lawrence, they can apply for an independent study.

HTo qualify, the activity must meet for at least seven hours a week. All expenses and transportation are the responsibility of the applicant and their family, and professional instruction should be a significant component of the program.

There are currently 12 LA students pursuing an afternoon independent. Their activities include gymnastics, dancing, equestrian, fencing, swimming, and ice skating. Here’s what four of them are doing:

annah, from Stow, Mass., has been dancing for 12 years. Whether it’s ballet, acro, jazz, lyrical, or contemporary, dance is important to Hannah, and a major part of her life.

Hannah is on a competitive team with the On Your Toes dance studio in Acton, Mass. In the winter semester, she participated in LA’s musical in addition to studying dance as an independent. Although managing a full schedule of academics, musical rehearsals, and dance instruction made for a busy winter, the opportunity allowed her to make more friends on campus and bring her strengths and skills to a different setting.

There are several lessons that Hannah has learned through dance that also relate to the school day at Lawrence Academy, including the ability to process information and learn quickly, showing appreciation, and having patience, perseverance, and determination.

Angelina has been dancing ballet for the past 13 years. She is a student at the Acton School of Ballet and participates in summer programs with the Boston Ballet and Ballet Austin.

Angelina’s practice schedule is intense: two hours a day, up to six days a week. She performs in at least three shows a year, including The Nutcracker, a spring show, and a recital. Angelina learned about LA’s independent program from another dancer and was thrilled to find a high school where she could continue pursuing her art independently.

Although Angelina doesn’t have time to attend many LA events and activities due to her dance schedule, she still feels very involved with the school. Through dance, Angelina has learned that to improve, you must sometimes fail. That concept has benefited her academic journey at LA, and she credits dance with giving her perspective on personal growth.

A NGELINA F ENG ’26

H ANNAH M OREAU ’26

Chad began figure skating at age four and participated in his first competition when he was eight. By age 10, he had choreographed his first routine and performed it to the song “Ghostbusters” at a skating summer camp.

Chad performed with a Theater on Ice team, the Broadway Blades, for four years. Theater on Ice is a team program that combines figure skating with theater and dance. Chad competed at nationals with the Broadway Blades twice, but now performs and competes independently.

In addition to his own lessons, Chad teaches younger children to skate at the Conway Arena in Nashua, N.H., where he also learned the sport. Although Chad’s schoolwork, part-time job, and regular practice schedule don’t leave him much time to relax, he wouldn’t change a thing. Being able to skate as an artistic and personal outlet brings fulfillment to his days.

Chad’s ultimate skating goal? To be a cruise ship performer and to share his love of the art form with the world.

Ava began figure skating when she was four years old. When she was seven, she transitioned to synchronized skating and hasn’t looked back. Now part of the Skating Club of Boston, she practices five days a week for at least three hours a day.

Ava maintained a rigorous competition schedule this year: In the fall, she participated in two shows at her home rink in Dedham, Mass. She competed in California for a week in November, then performed at an event in Boston and attended a week-long competition in Canada in December. She also performed in the Colonial Classic Exhibition in Lowell, Mass., went to international competitions in Budapest and Scotland, and spent a week in February at nationals in Las Vegas.

Even though Ava’s teachers were helpful and supportive while she was traveling, keeping up with assignments was difficult, and when she returned, she had to make up the work she missed while maintaining her busy practice schedule. However, Ava believes the experience helped her with time management, made her a better student, and prepared her for future challenges.

Although the independent athletics program is a big part of why Ava chose LA, she has made it a priority to try other sports during her time on campus. She played JV lacrosse, JV tennis, and JV soccer during 9th and 10th grades and was a member of the Lawrencian Chorale for all three of her years at LA.

A VA R ACANELLI ’25

Healthy and Safe at LA New facilities and expanded staff meet today’s needs

A M ODERN F ACILITY FOR M ODERN T IMES

by Joe Sheppard

“We’re a lot busier than we used to be,” says school nurse Lisa Fei, commenting on students’ visits to the new Frigoletto Health Center, which opened in September on the LA South campus. Dr. Melinda Raboin, director of health services and the Academy’s first full-time physician, concurs: “We compared the number of visits we did in 2022 from September to December with the number of visits we did in the same period in ’23. And this school year, in that time, we had 400 more visits.”

Expanding on Lisa’s comment, Dr. Raboin, who came to Lawrence in 2018, recalled the difficult years of the pandemic. “COVID was a completely different beast. On the one hand, our individual visits seemed to drop because many thought ‘don’t come unless you have to…’ When COVID hit, our orientation to what we were doing changed. At Dana House, the former site of the Health Center, we had three beds in two rooms, connected by a middle room with a couch. So we had space for three or four people to lie down. They were all connected. There was very

little privacy, and it was difficult to quarantine anyone. When COVID hit, we thought, how do we even function? That was an immediate need — to expand and be able to accommodate and serve more people safely. Even before my time, we were starting to outgrow Dana House.”

LA will not likely outgrow the new Frigoletto Health Center for some time. Located next to the campus safety office, the facility could be any town’s well-equipped urgent care center. Dr. Raboin’s spacious office adjoins a bright and sunny waiting room, nurses’ station, and two fully-equipped exam rooms. Consultation rooms and the office shared by the two school counselors are off to the left. Upstairs are five bedrooms for students who need to rest during the day or stay overnight, as well as a full bathroom. An additional bedroom is available for the staff member who stays whenever a student is sleeping over. Another half-dozen beds fill a large “overflow” bedroom. Though not originally part of the new Health Center plan, this overflow room has been utilized on several occasions when the Health Center has been extra busy this year.

Why is the Health Center “a lot busier” post-pandemic? A good part of the reason is that “demand increases to meet supply,” as Dr. Raboin puts it, paraphrasing

Nurse Lisa Fei P’12 checks a student in.

“The nurses see most of the student visits, but I jump in when we are busy,” explains Dr. Raboin. “Additionally, when a physician-level visit is needed, I am available right then and there. I like it. And I think it’s great for the kids.”

Assistant Head for Finance and Operations Bob Kramer. The Center is staffed all day, until 8:00 p.m.; a doctor, nurse (there are three nurses on staff), or counselor is available, with a nurse or Dr. Raboin on call, every night. “The nurses see most of the student visits, but I jump in when we are busy,” explains Dr. Raboin. “Additionally, when a physician-level visit is needed, I am available right then and there.”

“I like it. And I think it’s great for the kids,” she adds. When necessary, she can easily consult with the staff clinical psychologists. “I love it, because we collaborate all the time,” she notes.

Having a full-time physician at the Health Center is a boon to many parents, too, Dr. Raboin points out. “I think about it from a parent’s point of view. Whether they’re a boarder or a day student, a nurse or doctor is available at school, which helps busy parents,” she says. “We’ve also been able to offer more to staff and employees, who have been invited to use the Health Center as well. Hopefully we make things easier, more convenient for everyone.”

Students in the front waiting area

Dr. Raboin, always available!

T AKING C AMPUS S ECURITY S ERIOUSLY

by Joe Sheppard

Veteran faculty member Frank Mastrangelo P’15, ’18 is LA’s director of campus safety and security. He has a new office in a handsomely remodeled building on the LA South campus, the former Country Day School of the Holy Union, and it is filled with the tools of his trade, mostly electronic. Forty-seven security cameras, fed to a huge wallmounted monitor, keep a vigilant eye on busy places on campus. Through his cell phone and radio, Frank has instant links to local police, firefighters, and EMTs, as well as to access relevant student information when needed.

Long involved with the Boston Marathon medical committee, Frank oversaw the finish-line medical team in 2013, when they became key first responders following the bombing at that year’s marathon. When he returned to LA as athletic trainer after a few years at another school, the horrific experience at the marathon made him realize that Lawrence needed a comprehensive safety program. “I was excited to come back,” he recalls, “but I said to myself, ‘There’s not much they

have in place here. What are they going to do in the event of a disaster like the bombing?’ I realized that we needed to have a plan of action.”

Frank found a flip chart with instructions on how to react to different situations created by a former faculty member. It was “a good start,” he notes, “but nobody’s going to run to a flip chart when something happens.” Moreover, Lawrence Academy had no fast means of school-wide communication, which was Frank’s biggest concern.

Frank explained the situation to Head of School Dan Scheibe, who appointed him as LA’s director of safety in 2014. From the start, Frank involved both state and local police departments (he is an active member of the latter) and carried out drills using protocols he created with other members of the school’s crisis response team.

The flip charts are no more. AEDs (automatic external defibrillators) have been installed throughout campus — 28 in total, in every building and on each athletic field — along with an alarm system allowing instantaneous

communication in the event of an accident or other life-threatening incident. State-mandated fire and crisis drills are carried out four times a year with assistance from Groton public safety personnel. “We always tell everyone that it’s a drill, so they have an awareness of what’s going on,” Frank notes. “A lot of kids are concerned, and rightly so, about some of the active shooter situations that have occurred in the U.S.”

Frank now fully devotes his time to keeping campus safe and secure, having retired his athletic trainer’s hat after 32 years. It’s a big job: as of last fall, three trained safety officers from an outside company are part of the team that patrols campus from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, following a detailed protocol prepared by Frank.

Another important source of support for the Office of Safety and Security is the Student First Responders Club, which Frank started in 2020. The club focuses on acknowledging first responders and addresses the school community frequently at assemblies on topics ranging from the dangers of texting and driving to lifesaving procedures.

Barbara Brammer ’75; P’06

2024 F OUNDERS ’ D AY AWARD R ECIPIENT

“Authentic and approachable and not afraid to dig into the tough topics, Barbara’s leadership at the board level on governance and personnel issues, and her unwavering focus on the need to be a diverse and inclusive school, made us all better. And, at the end of a long day, she could always find a reason to laugh.”

Lucy Abisalih, ’76: past trustee, honorary trustee, and previous Founders’ Day Award recipient

Established in 1993 as part of Lawrence Academy’s bicentennial celebration, the Founders’ Day Award is given annually for extraordinary service to LA.

The 2024 recipient is Barbara Brammer ’75; P’06. When she began at LA in 1971, she was among fewer than 20 female students. After graduating, she earned a B.S. from the University of Vermont and an MBA from Simmons Graduate School of Management.

Her siblings, Robert ’61, Bruce ’73, and Betsy ’74, and daughter Denise ‘06 attended LA, too. Barbara’s father, Albert Anderson, meanwhile, was a dedicated and longstanding trustee and a recipient of the Founders’ Day Award in 1994. Barbara’s family started the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation in memory of her brother, and through the foundation, the family has been generous supporters of LA.

Barbara has been a longtime LA class agent and reunion volunteer and served on the board of Trustees from 2001 – 2020. On the Board, Barbara was an advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging well before these were elements schools were systematically paying attention to.

When asked about Barbara, LA Trustee David Stone ’76 remarked that he has “watched Barbara demonstrate passionate support for the mission of Lawrence Academy and constructive engagement to ensure that we bring it to life every day. She has been an outstanding mentor, colleague, and leader in her work on behalf of the school, and I am proud to have been her colleague and to still be her friend.”

Thank you for your years of service, Barbara, and congratulations on receiving the 2024 Founders’ Day Award.

Meet the Faculty Who

by Caitlin O’Brien

Graduation doesn’t always mark the end of a journey at Lawrence Academy. There are currently 14 faculty members who were once students on the elm tree–shaded hillside.

The alumni faculty who call LA home represent several areas of academics, athletics, and administration. They are all part of the day-to-day lives of our students, and their perspectives as alumni help guide their work. We caught up with ten of them.

When Ben Rogers ’02 was a student at LA, he always had a feeling that he’d be back as an employee. Now, as director of alumni advancement, Ben feels just as much at home on campus as he always did.

Erica Hager ’88 agrees with Ben: “It’s a great place to be,” she says of Lawrence. “It’s something very special to come back and contribute to the place that gave you so much at such a fragile, changeable time in your life.”

Emily Pratt ’16 never imagined she’d be back on campus as an adult. “Little did I know then that life has its own way of surprising us,” she reflects, “and sometimes the paths we least expect to take lead us exactly where we’re meant to be.” But Shelby Guinard ’19 was voted Most Likely to Work at LA by her classmates, even though she was “adamant that I would never be a high school teacher.”

The alumni faculty note the many differences between their experiences at LA and those of current students, including facilities improvements, curricular and programmatic changes — including the NGP and CSC — dress code, and technology. Val Templeton ’89 points out, “We had no phones, so there was a lot more playing games on the Quad and enjoying each other’s company.”

Like Val, Michelle Ruby ’98 sees a cultural difference because of the prevalence of technology in today’s world. “I am also so glad that social media and cell phones weren’t a thing back then,” she says. “My moments of stupidity are funny stories, not videos that will follow me forever, plus I could more easily be present where I was. If I was having any sort of social challenge at school, I could set it aside at home, and vice versa.”

Jarred Gagnon ’03 feels that the school’s changes have been positive. “We’ve taken steps to make LA a more welcoming and friendly community. Not that it was bad then, but we have explicitly taken steps to improve the experience,” he says. “We have embraced new technologies and have made adjustments to the schedule and mission of the school.”

Sara Gillis’s ’10 experiences at LA as a student inspired her to return to campus to work in admissions. “As a student, I always felt cared for. Yet, as a faculty member, I am blown away

by the lengths to which the faculty go to support our students,” she says. “Seeing the ‘behind the scenes’ of supporting our students has been really inspiring to witness, and it makes me so grateful that I got to attend a school like Lawrence Academy.”

For Sean Sheehan ’87, what makes LA special has remained unchanged: He appreciates the school’s steadfast commitment to “helping each kid figure out who they are and helping them become the best versions of themselves.” That commitment also resonates with Jen McAleer ’03: “I have always wanted to help students become the best versions of themselves in my career,” she says. “Reading LA’s mission and recognizing how they truly live it made me reconsider my own experience at LA. I grew the most as a student and human on this campus, and the faculty here supported me along the way. They truly knew me as a person and only wanted to push me to become the best version of myself. I decided that this aligns with my view on educating students and is a perfect place to return to. Hopefully, I can provide the same experience that I had for students at LA.”

For graduates who are interested in working at Lawrence Academy, the advice from our current group of alumni faculty is unanimous: Go for it; you belong here.

Ben Rogers ’02

Emily Pratt ’16

Shelby Guinard ’19

Val (Campolito) Templeton ’89

Michelle Ruby ’98

Erica (Reynolds) Hager ’88

Call LA Home (Again)

FUN FACTS

What dining hall food did our alumni-faculty like best while they were LA students?

Sara

Now: chicken tenders with sauce and the chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons

Then: big loaf of freshly baked bread in the middle of the dining hall served with perfect, room-temperature butter

Sean

Then: “quick-chix” sandwich

Jen

Now: chicken with butternut squash risotto and Ice Cream Fridays (apple pie flavor is to die for!)

Then: bagel with butter and cinnamon sugar

Emily

Then: chicken – tenders, nuggets, and patties

Jarred

Now: daily breakfast

Then: “quick-chix” sandwich

LA Alumni Currently on the Faculty

Robbie Barker ’00 boys’ varsity hockey coach, English teacher

Cereal, pasta, bread and bagels: 14%

Chicken (quik-chix, tenders, and nuggets): 86%

Michelle

Now: vegetarian curries and potato samosas

Then: cereal and pasta

Val

Now: salad bar

Then: chicken tenders

Erica

Now: tofu enchiladas

Then: ranch dressing and chips and the chicken sandwich enchiladas

Ben

Now: salad bar

Then: “quick-chix” sandwich and fries

Shelby

Now and Then: Ice Cream Fridays

Jess DeVito ’10 French teacher

Jarred Gagnon ’03 math teacher

Sara Gillis ’10

Director of Admissions and Digital Strategy

Allie Goodrich ’13

English teacher

Shelby Guinard ’19 science teacher

Erica Hager ’88

Spanish teacher

Kes Maro ’18

digital/visual arts teacher

Jen McAleer ’03

Assistant Dean of Academics, Director of Learning Support

Emily Pratt ’16

Assistant Director of Athletics, girls’ varsity basketball coach

Ben Rogers ’02 Director of Alumni Advancement

Michelle Ruby ’98 science teacher, outdoors, girls’ JV hockey coach

Sean Sheehan ’87

Director of College Counseling, history teacher

Val Templeton ’89

Senior Associate Director of Admissions and Director of Campus Events

Jared Gagnon ’03

Sara (Davey) Gillis ’10

Sean Sheehan ’87

Jen MacAleer ’03

A Lifetime of Vision and Generosity

LA and local communities celebrate the life of Al Stone

Al left us with “a legacy of stewardship with significance: building cultural and social institutions that benefit the population, always with a focus on the type of service that builds communities and strengthens the fabric of humanity.”

Earlier this spring, at the Groton Hill Music Center close by Lawrence Academy’s campus, friends, family, and prominent local figures celebrated and honored Al Stone’s long, distinguished life of giving and doing. Fittingly, Lawrence Academy served as a satellite location for parking for the many who wanted to show their admiration and respect. Al was an Honorary Trustee and formerly the President of the Lawrence Academy Board of Trustees. Perhaps his most treasured roles at Lawrence Academy, however, were as father to Karen ’74 and David ’76 and grandfather to Ben ’15

Groton Hill is perhaps the most prominent manifestation of Al’s lifetime of vision and generosity involving the towns and communities in which he lived over 95 years of service and connection. Al’s passing on Dec. 12, 2023, left us with “a legacy of stewardship with significance: building cultural and social institutions that benefit the population, always with a focus on the type of service that builds communities and strengthens the fabric of humanity,” Head of School Dan Scheibe wrote the day after Al’s passing.

Al was a successful businessman, joining his father and uncle in 1956 at the family business, Sterilite Corporation, which he grew from a small regional company to the largest plastic housewares manufacturer in the country, with plants across the U.S. and abroad. By nature a modest man, he unfailingly credited his success to the hard work and dedication of the many Sterilite employees who were instrumental to the company’s growth. By the end of his 67-year career, he found great satisfaction in working at the company alongside his sons and grandchildren.

Al’s strong work ethic and business acumen benefitted the many organizations he served as a board member or a trustee. As Dan put it, “Nobody cared more about disciplined planning and sound operation than Al — knowing, like a good parent, that careful organization and clear thinking lead

to fertile paths of growth.” During his long tenure as a member and then as President of Lawrence’s Board of Trustees, Al saw the school through years of growth and profound transformation. He remained an active and engaged Honorary Trustee until his final days, participating in work groups such as the campus planning group that led to the purchase of LA South.

Al was both guardian and custodian to the school’s modern identity. As Dan wrote, he “ushered the school into its third century of existence. At every point of connection during that time, he helped to shape Lawrence Academy into its modern expression, in the process embodying the ideals of its founding — empowering and advancing a citizenry.” It was only fitting that Al was the first recipient of LA’s Founders’ Day Award when it was established in 1993.

Al had a favorite seat on the west mezzanine of the great concert hall at Groton Hill and was a regular attendee at the concerts of the Vista Philharmonic Orchestra. During intermissions, friends and well-wishers would stop by to say hello and chat. It must have given him great joy to see how quickly something he helped bring into existence became a cultural fixture in the local community — with an even broader and more impactful reach. Similar to Lawrence Academy’s founding, Groton Hill now stands to be a source of inspiration, education, and creative progress for the centuries.

As Dan concluded, “It is hard to imagine any individual having such a profound effect on his surroundings … Lawrence Academy is but one of many causes and populations Al helped to build, serve, and grow.”

Thank you, Al. May the music of Groton Hill carry over the town and up to Academy Hill for all the years to come

Building Community with All

Meet Incoming Board President Karen Mitchell Brandvold ’82; P’16, ’17

by Anne O’Connor ’78

When then-headmaster Ben Williams said, “Hi, Karen,” to a self-described super-shy 14-year-old girl on two of her first days at Lawrence, she was blown away that he knew her name. The supportive and inclusive environment at the school made her feel welcomed into the community.

Karen Mitchell Brandvold ’82; P’16, ’17 says her time at LA, including playing sports, was transformational: She made plenty of friends, developed self-confidence, and found that she was more of an athlete than she initially thought. Her self-confidence increased. Now, Karen — the first female president of the school’s Board of Trustees, pending an official vote in May — wants to give back.

Last summer, Karen and outgoing board president Jason Saghir spoke with trustees and school staff individually about Karen taking Jason’s place. They received enthusiastic responses, and when the board came together in October, its members agreed that Karen should be the new president. Since then, Karen and Jason have met frequently with Head of School Dan Scheibe as part of the transition.

In addition to being an alumna, Karen is a parent of two graduates, daughters Amalie ’16 and Victoria ’17. Karen realized that her daughters’ experiences at LA were different from hers. While Karen spent much of her time, including weekends, on campus as a student, this wasn’t as much the case

for her daughters. Recognizing the importance of building community and fostering connections among students, Karen is particularly excited about the development of the new Community Commons.

With a projected cost of $20 million, the Community Commons will provide a dedicated place for day and boarding students to gather, interact, and bond, a crucial initiative for Lawrence Academy. The central hub will enrich the student experience and foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie among all members of the Lawrence Academy community.

During a time when the school is trying to increase connections with alumni, Karen knows that having an alumnus as president of the trustees is important for building a stronger community. “My job is to maximize the talent of the trustees to ensure LA benefits from the best possible leadership,” she said. She sees that the increasingly diverse board is in a really good place, with alumni, current parents, and professionals. When she became a trustee in 2019, she was one of four women. Now, about one-third of the 27 members are women. The goal is to get to 50 percent in the next few years.

Karen, the CFO and vice president at Omni, a family-owned distribution business specializing in industrial products, is committed to working hard to uphold LA’s legacy of providing a supportive environment where young adults can embrace their potential, take ownership of their journey, and pursue their aspirations with confidence.

At Victoria’s graduation, Spring 2017: Amalie, Paal, Victoria, and Karen Brandvold.

“My job is to maximize the talent of the trustees so that we have the best for Lawrence Academy.”

Jump in First! Jordan Nathan ’11, Entrepreneur

by Anne O’Connor ’78

Jordan Nathan ’11 doesn’t know if he could lead a company of more than 60 people without the skills he picked up during his two years at Lawrence Academy.

Quiet Jordan learned to jump in first to be heard during seminars. “I give people that advice now,” he says. He also honed his writing skills thanks to the “great English teachers” he had at LA.

Jordan founded Caraway Home — a company that designs and markets high-end, non-toxic cookware — in November 2019. The multi-milliondollar company, which designs all of its products in-house and manufactures them through partners in Asia, has grown from selling only through its website to securing placements in large retailers including Target and Crate & Barrel and also selling through Amazon.

continued to evolve. (Discussions can be more difficult when everyone is remote, he admits.)

When it comes to being an entrepreneur, “you just do it and dive in,” Jordan says. The first company he started out of college “didn’t go so well” because, as Jordan found out, he lacked some of the comfort and skills needed to run a company, and his lack of job experience meant he had never worked with a good manager.

“When it comes to being an entrepreneur, you just do it and dive in.”

When COVID hit, Caraway Home employed four people who were renting desks in someone else’s office. Now, the company recruits internationally and has employees working remotely around the world. “People are happier. Folks enjoy the flexibility,” says Jordan, whose communications skills have

Jordan suggests that students take internships — anything in business — to gain skills. Taking a variety of classes is important, too. For example, he wishes he had taken a design class along the way so he could be more comfortable with formatting presentations.

Caraway Home will continue expanding into the rest of the home and kitchen over the next five years after launching with cookware. These days, Jordan is especially enjoying the flexibility of a remote job because he and his wife, Sarah, welcomed a healthy new baby, Elliot, in February.

As for the future? “I’m an entrepreneur,” Jordan says. “I’m sure I’ll start something else at some point.”

The Power of Connection Linking LA Students and

by Ben Rogers ’02

When Richard Kelleher ’24 walked into my office in November and told me he wanted to do a Winterim Professional — an off-campus, sponsored, “internship-like” program during Winterim — with a focus in finance, I knew it would be an outstanding experience for him.

I immediately got to work using my various networks, including LA Connect. I reached out to a handful of Lawrence Academy alumni and asked if anyone would be interested in helping Richard, not only with his Winterim Professional experience, but also by teaching him about what it takes to become a financial planner or advisor. The number of positive responses I received from alumni wanting to help was outstanding.

Alumni through Winterim

“Shadowing both Kurt and Bill for the two weeks really gave me an inside look at private equity and wealth management and how to talk to clients about their personal finances,” says Richard.

“Reading and learning about the industry … gave me lots to think about. I am so grateful for this opportunity to learn more as I head into college (the plan is to study business at Providence College). Being able to connect and learn from other LA graduates gave me a great perspective of not just personal finance, but the ability to connect with LA alumni.”

“Being able to connect and learn from other LA graduates gave me a great perspective of not just personal finance, but the ability to connect with LA alumni.”

This past March, Richard worked with two LA alumni, Bill Tagerman ’73 and Kurt Carter ’83. Bill is the senior vice president of wealth management at UBS in Peabody, Mass., and Kurt is the chief financial officer at TalentNeuron.

Lawrence Academy has more than 7,000 alumni worldwide. The power of connection and networking is so important, and the more we can link LA students with alumni, the more we will build the LA network. Having Richard team up with LA alumni for this experience will hopefully open more doors for future students as they look at Winterim and how the program can help them long term.

Richard Kelleher ’24 at the UBS branch in Peabody, Mass., during Winterim 2024. L-R: Mark, Bill ’73, Lindsay, Richard ’24, and Scott.

Collective Visions Turning Dreams into Reality

LAthrives on the spirit of community and inclusion, something evident not just in our classrooms but also in the very spaces we build. With a goal of $20 million, the early stages of fundraising for the new Community Commons have garnered incredible support. This story features three inspiring donors: an alumnus who remembers the importance of shared spaces, a parent forever grateful for the school’s impact, and a current family dedicated to building a future for all students. Their stories remind us that it takes a collective vision, fueled by the generosity of individuals, to turn dreams like the Community Commons into a reality, and we are sincerely grateful.

– Director of Advancement Beth Crutcher

by Joe Sheppard

When Bob Berry ’66 came to Lawrence Academy from his home in Illinois in the fall of 1962, he was one of just a handful of students in his class who lived farther away than New York State. “Lawrence is so much different now than it was back then,” he reflects, “and that’s what I like about it. It’s really taking care of the students.”

Bob credits the “old” Lawrence with teaching him good study habits and how to live in a dorm with other people — skills he carried with him to Ithaca College and then to the Army, where he served in “the first computer group in any of the services,” thanks to “computer key punching and quantitative methods” he’d studied in college.

A side trip to Groton during a Summer 2022 visit to the U.S. Open in Brookline, Mass., gave Bob the chance to reconnect with LA. I met coaches and teachers, and saw the new facilities,” he remembers. “I just got the passion back for Lawrence.”

Why has Bob donated to the Community Commons project? “Lawrence is a great place,” he explains. “And the Commons will just elevate it to a new level … If they keep going the way they are, we can really make Lawrence special!”

Thank you, Bob. Your generosity will help to make Lawrence an even greater place!

BOB BERRY ’66

“We picked LA for our son Cooper ’23 because we liked the fact that there was no dominant culture,” says Trustee Ed Steinborn. “We’re not a day school, we’re not a boarding school, we’re not an athlete school, we’re not an art school. We’re pretty much a school that fits everybody. And LA accommodates the student’s learning style rather than the student’s learning style accommodating to the school. Each student is taught as an individual, which is great.”

For all of LA’s strengths, Ed notes, some of the school’s facilities are in need of upgrading. In particular, he says, there is no central place where students can come together: “There’s really no place for students to hang out and talk to their classmates — that kind of magnetic place to go to, to maintain that culture of all-inclusiveness.”

Herein lies the importance of the Community Commons project, Ed states. “A building like this is critical to the teaching philosophy of a school like Lawrence,” he notes. “This project presents the opportunity to have this magnetic place that all the kids — and the faculty — can go. The Community Commons will be more than just a place to eat; the building fits, and is critical to, both the culture of the school and the academic environment that the school’s looking to cultivate and develop. Additionally, speaking as a parent of a day student, it will provide that student population a place to go after school hours and during break periods.”

Donating to the Community Commons, Ed explains, “gives me the opportunity to be much more impactful with money that I donate than other organizations I could give to. And it provides me an opportunity to personally leave a thumbprint on something that was very important to my son’s development, helping to put him where he is today.”

Generations of students for years to come will benefit from Ed’s “thumbprint.” We join them in thanking him.

“We believe a good education is the basis for a meaningful and productive life,” says LA Trustee Susanna Gallant P ’20, ’24. “It is one of the most important things we can do for our children.”

Dan Scheibe’s statement in a parent presentation that “the child is more important than the school” impressed her deeply. “For the head of school to make that statement is extremely powerful,” she commented, “and Lawrence Academy has lived up to that promise in the care they have taken with our daughters.”

With a smile, Susanna recalled visiting the school, with daughter Rachel ’20: “I wasn’t walking into a homogenous country club. There were people that were different colors. They were wearing different styles: artsy, sporty, sloppy, and fancy. It was all there and they were all mixing it up together. That was one of the things I really liked when I walked on campus,” she says.

“Also the campus itself is this beautiful, idyllic place, with some of the best winter sunsets I’ve ever seen,” she adds. “The facilities, however, are another story. They are well maintained, but weren’t designed for the current student body, and some are pretty dated.”

Susanna and her husband both remember from their public high school years that “the cafeteria was the one place everybody went through on a daily basis. Everyone was in there more or less at the same time and there was so much going on. Eating together is such a basic part of building community.”

“LA needs a place where the students can just bump into each other, where they can be comfortable and sit down and do their homework with a friend or teacher — maybe while they’re sitting at lunch or dinner,” she continues. “The Community Commons is going to be really helpful in that way. And, looking out over the football field and surrounding hills, it has the added bonus of being a place of beauty. This is something that needs to be done.”

Thanks to friends like Susanna and Richard Gallant, it’s going to be done. And the view from the Commons will be more beautiful than ever.

RICHARD AND SUSANNA GALLANT P ’20, ’24

ED AND COOPER ’23 STEINBORN

Alumni Class Notes

1962

Ken Macauley ’62 writes: “Just had a wonderful time with Mike Dunn ’62 in Wiscasset, Maine, at an impromptu visit. I would like to report that he looks the same, but, as he said to me, we both had aged. We remembered meeting in Paris after graduation, along with Ken Kopp ’62, and our joint purchase of a a motor scooter from an older classmate, Bucky Davis ’61. I won’t dwell on Bucky’s exaggeration of how “perfectly tuned” the vehicle was, nor will I go into Mike’s pathetic complaints about how cold he got while driving said vehicle over the Alps. I am not pleased to report that Mike’s lips still appear to have a tinge of blue. If Jim Sokolove ’62 is reading this, I hope he will resist the temptation to launch another bogus suit against me. Warning, Jim, I don’t have any money. Having said all of this, I would like to report that in spite of my retired status, I have published my fourth book, Two If By Sea. It is available on Amazon, and your purchase will delay my arrival at the Maine Poor House for LA Indigents. Currently they are full but are still accepting waitlist applications.”

1965

Bruce Decker ’65 writes: “For the last several years, a group of 65ers has been getting together for a football game at LA. We gather at Johnson’s Restaurant or another local spot for lunch, then head up to the game.

“The 2022 game saw LA trounce Tabor, but the 2023 Governor’s Academy game didn’t go quite as well. Regardless, each was a fun time. Contact Bruce Decker if you would like to join in.”

Class of ’65 members meet monthly, during winter months, in South Florida to reminisce about LA and plan their upcoming 60th class reunion (June of 2025).

1972

Howard Bronson ’72 sent us this update: “We were quite the rebellious class, caught between tradition and Woodstock, between Fergie and freedom; the experimental generation, and a lot of it failed. During my years at Lawrence, as former class president, I took an unpopular anti-drug stance and was basically bullied out of school my senior year. Over the years I saw many friends either die from drugs or, worse, vegetate and fade away over many decades.

“Fast forward: Over the past year, I worked as a therapist at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, Vt., and at the Brattleboro, Vt. Comprehensive Treatment Center for extreme drug addiction (heroin, Fentanyl, Xylazine). It’s admittedly propitious that some of the people I failed to help fifty years ago have ended up at the CTC, where they get their daily dose of Methadone.

“So why am I sharing this? Is this another braggadocio note? No, although I did want to urge my classmates to keep doing purposeful work. It’s good for the brain, soul, and humanity. Mostly, because I want to say that while I have failed at many things, I was right about the potential devastation of drug use, and, sadly, the climate and accessibility are more severe than ever. Drugs are killing tens of thousands of our mostly-young citizenry — potentially, your grandchildren and mine — each and every year. And the only true defense is refusal to use, and that can be reinforced by a loving and supportive home.

Class of 1965, L-R: Tim Kittredge, Chandler Grinnell, Bert Johnson, Bruce Decker, Bob Bittenbender, and Dave Smith. Bruce Akashian and Barry Walsh had to drop out at the last minute.

Class of 1965, L-R: Bob Borzillo, Roger Jones, Bill Simpkins, and Bert Johnson.

Ken MacAuley ’62

“Too many people fall into drugs and alcohol to escape the process of learning how to cope. Children are especially vulnerable to that ‘feel good’ feeling. So be the nagging nerd that keeps your grandkids safe. It’s the best way you can say ‘I love you.’”

Don Steele ’72 sent this reminiscence: “Hello, I am an alumnus, Class of 1972. I was captain of the boys’ varsity hockey team. By happenstance I met Brent Raftery ’91, who was also the captain of boys’ varsity hockey, in Gloucester, Mass., where we both reside. We attended this season’s hockey game at Governor’s Academy; unfortunately, LA lost, 4–3. We met Coach Barker ’00 and Coach Sheehan ’87 before the game, and they couldn’t have been more welcoming. I relayed to them about the old days of the original covered natural-ice rink to the right of the Cow Pond, and of how we shoveled the ice shavings off after practice and then towed the “Flexible Flyer” sled with a 55-gallon drum lashed to it filled with hot water with a gate valve and a long piece of pipe with drilled holes and old rags hanging off the pipe to resurface the ice. Returning to LA after Christmas break junior year, we’d had a very big snowstorm in our absence, and our natural-ice covered rink looked like a bomb had hit it. It was a twisted mess of metal. I’ll never forget getting up before dawn and classes to go to Groton School to practice, as that was the only time available, and also practices in Nashua, N.H. LA was fortunate to have a benefactor who enabled the school to finish Grant Rink by my senior year. Being the captain, I had the privilege of taking the inaugural puck drop. Coach Barker invited Brent and me to visit the locker room before the team took the ice to say a few words of encouragement. He introduced us and related the above narrative. The looks on the players’ faces were priceless!

1974

Cameron Leonard (Smith) ’74 sent us this update: “Living in Fairbanks, Alaska, since 1983, and currently winding down practice of law. Summer recreation is extended wilderness canoe trips and catching up on garden and grounds when in town. Winters are a bit more challenging. I have two adult children, a son in Wisconsin and a daughter who lives here. I am trying to put off duffer-dom as long as possible, but it’s not a viable long-term plan …. I look forward to seeing my classmates at our 50th reunion this year!”

1975

We received this from Carol (Bolger) Esposito ’75: “Greetings, Class of 1975! It is hard to believe that it has been almost 50 years since we all graduated from LA. I remember well our LA of the 1970s, and I am sure the school has changed a lot since 1975. We ourselves experienced the arrival of girls on campus, Vin Skinner’s dreaded ‘Skinner papers,’ the inaugural ‘Nukes and Commies’ class featuring John Curran, Bob Kullen coaching the first girls’ soccer team, Jim Holmes’ room-sized computer, the growth of our theatre program under Brian Smiar, the ‘Goon Squad’ of the cross country team, the introduction of independent study, LA2, and Winterim, an increase in the number of day students, and lots of other changes. I miss our years together, and my memories of LA always bring a grin to my face. In the intervening years, I have been married and raised and launched three grown children (Joe, 33, Chris, 32, and Mary, 27). My husband, John Esposito, and I have lived in Georgetown, Mass., for 32 years. We chose Georgetown because it was the closest thing to Groton we could find on the North Shore. I enjoyed a long and challenging 36 years as a public interest lawyer and retired in 2018 to become a financial advisor, joining our family firm (Esposito Financial Group) as a partner. Life is good — crazy busy, chaotic, and fun. I hope you are all well. See you at our reunion in 2025. Take care!”

“It was a pleasure to meet Coach Barker and Coach Sheehan and to watch a really good hockey game that started slow for us but almost came back to tie late in the third period with a five on three. Please give my regards to Coach Barker and Coach Sheehan and thank them for the opportunity to visit the locker room. It was a thrill for me and know it was also for Brent. GO SPARTANS!”

1972 varsity hockey seniors

Don Steele ’72 shoots against Proctor

Cameron Leonard ’74

Carol Esposito ’75 and Nancy Moyer ’73

girls soccer 1972, submitted by Carol (Bolger) Esposito ’75

Alumni Class Notes

1976

Mark and Ruth (Glazer) White ’76, P ’15 of The Villages, Fla., and Mashpee, Mass., recently caught up with Jean and David Betses ’74 of Kennebunkport, Maine, at Primo in Orlando, Fla.

1985

From Tracey Cochran Hutchinson ’85: “The highlight of my fall was reconnecting live with Neil Menard ’85, who happens to live in the lovely town where my daughter goes to college! The best friends are those who you don’t see for years and feel like home when you do. Wishing health and happiness for ALL in 2024!”

Sheila (Riordan) Nugent ’85 recently visited classmate Cindy (Sherman) Parkin in Friday Harbor, Wash. Sheila hails from Seattle — what fun to live fairly close!

1987

Rick Tyson ’87 says: “Hi, everyone! It’s been a fun year chasing my 16- and 13-year-olds around soccer fields, golf courses, and mountains. Thank you to all who sent such supportive notes of congratulations for my first novel, A Bit About Vivian, which was published last September. I’m working on book two! Finally, I enjoy serving on the board at LA. There are so many exciting initiatives to look forward to! Hope to see you all around campus sometime.”

1988

Karen McCann ’88 writes: “Was sorry to miss our 35th reunion in June and hope fellow classmates are doing well. This summer, I had a blast in Australia and New Zealand at the Women’s World Cup, attending 20 games over the tournament — quite the adventure. Just got back from playing in my annual soccer tournament in Mexico — never would have thought from my LA days I would still be playing, but appreciate the great coaching back in the good old days from Donna Mastrangelo P’15, ’18, Doc Haman P’02, ’04, ’09, and Jeff Rubens!”

2000

Liz Carroll ’00 writes: “After nearly 20 years in healthcare information technology marketing, I decided to pursue a career in my lifelong passion: fitness. In 2023, I became a certified personal trainer from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and launched my own company, Carroll Fitness LLC.”

2001

Cristina Tavares ’01 says, “We are a happy family of four as of 2021, still living in Dominican Republic.”

2002

Andy Beaulieu ’02 is an attorney in Miami, Fla., for the law firm Avila Rodriguez Hernandez Mena & Garro, LLP, where his practice focuses on commercial litigation.

Andy was recently named in the Best Lawyers of America (2024 Edition) publication as “One to Watch” in the field of commercial litigation. These awards highlight excellence in legal talent for lawyers within a specific practice area who are earlier on in their careers.

Front: Jean and David Betses ’74. Standing: Mark and Ruth White ’76, P’15.

The Tyson Family: daughter Ella, Lisa, Rick ’87, and son Matthew

Liz Carroll ’00

Karen McCann ’88 and Sam McClelland, daughter and current senior at Bowdoin College

Andy Beaulieu ’02

2003

Melissa Levine-Piro ’03 owns Hera Law Group, a boutique family and estate firm with offices in Maynard, Milton, and Hyannis, Mass. She was named a top family and divorce attorney for 2022 and 2023 by Boston Magazine. Most recently, Melissa won a landmark appeal, Calliope v. Yanni, which helps survivors of domestic violence moving forward as the appeals court held that Judges can’t consider the effect a restraining order will have on the defendant when deciding whether or not to issue or extend a restraining order.

2009

Chris Watson ’09 and his partner Irina were married on June 24, 2023, in York Harbor, Maine. Alumni Jonathan Donahue ’08, Nicholas Monath ’09, and Kevin Gu ’12 were in attendance. The couple lives in Portland, Maine, where Chris works as a staff data scientist at Idexx. Irina hails from Rosario, Argentina, and is a Ph.D. candidate in Hispanic linguistics at UMass Amherst.

2010

2012

Ryan Zapolski ’12 was selected as a recipient of the Outstanding Young Professional award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals for 2024.

Have a note to share in the Fall 2024 Academy Journal? Forward info and pictures to pglover@lacademy.edu.

Melissa Levine-Piro ’03

Ryan Zapolski ’12

Chris Watson ’09 wedding: Jonathan Donahue ’08, Nicholas Monath ’09, Irina and Christopher Watson ’09, and Kevin Gu ’12.

The wedding of Jordan Lovejoy ’10 to Daniel Maxton, joined by their LA alumni guests! Top L-R: Felix Berger, Meg Lewis ’10, Daniel Maxton, Jordan Lovejoy ’10, Ben Stone ’15, George Lovejoy ’06, Claire Fidelman Kinzler ’00, Will Joumas ’10, Sara Davey Gillis ’10, and Jo-Ann Lovejoy P’06 ’08 ’10. Bottom L-R: Maggie Moyers ’10,

Katie Joumas Mavrogiannis ’09, Logan Gillis ’09, Cela Hoyt ’24, and Spencer Lovejoy ’08.

Alumni Class Notes

2013

LA faculty member Allie Goodrich ’13 and faculty colleague Mia Ritter were married in Maine in June 2023. In attendance were many past and current faculty members as well as alumni.

2014

Islambek Mussayev ’14 sent this update:

“I graduated from Lawrence Academy back in 2014 and then got my mechanical engineering degree from RIT in 2020.

A lot of things have happened since my graduation, but one of my recent professional highlights was taking a part in the NG-19 mission, sending a Cygnus payload to the International Space Station (ISS).

“Ever since I was a kid in Kazakhstan, I would watch launches from Baikonur on TV, always dreaming of being part of a team involved in developing or engineering rockets. To think that after all the years of hard work, with people believing in me and allowing me to grow, and with all the opportunities that came my way, I was able to achieve one of my greatest childhood dreams!

“I can proudly say I was one of the members who sent a rocket to the ISS to help the astronauts with their research and logistics. Our team of system engineers worked incredibly hard throughout this process. Just being in Mission Control and supporting our team made me feel like I was in a movie. And honestly, I couldn’t have achieved this if not for my parents, who always believed in me and supported me, all of my teachers who allowed me to learn

and grow in academics, my friends who listened to my constant whining, and my past work experiences that allowed me to overcome real-life difficulties. I was able to achieve this through a group effort of amazing people who did not hesitate to put their trust in me and be patient with me. I am grateful to everyone and I am excited to keep going further! Go Antares! Go Spartans!”

2015

Ben Stone ’15 moved to Salt Lake City in 2022 and is enjoying his new surroundings out west. He continues to work in the film industry, helping athletes and brands tell their stories at Shadow Lion, a production company based in Boston.

2020

Anya Brown ’20 and Lalu Saldanha ’20 got together throughout the fall of 2023 while both were studying at universities in Melbourne, Australia. “This was the first time since the abrupt end to our senior year in March of 2020,” Anya writes. “Lalu lives in East Timor and I in New Hampshire, so it was lucky that while abroad for the semester I found out Lalu was living and studying in Melbourne (for full degree).”

Have a note to share in the Fall 2024 Academy Journal? Forward info and pictures to pglover@lacademy.edu.

Allie Goodrich ’13 and Mia Ritter wedding, L-R: Theresa Ryan, Frank Mastrangelo P’18,’15, Nicole Murphy, Whitney Jones, Brett Benzio, Molly Purcell, Nikki Derosier, Elizabeth McBride Ford, Christine Torigian, Cailey Mastrangelo ’15, Val Templeton ’89, Sara Gillis ’10, Eliza Foster, Allie Goodrich ’13, Mia Ritter, Coby Goodrich ’16, Logan Gillis ’09, Donna Mastrangelo P’18,’15, Jaime Schulze, Sean Sheehan ’87, Andrew Healy, Caroline Heatley, Kimberly Bohlin Healy, and O’Shea Bell.

Islambek Mussayev ’14

Anya Brown ’20 and Lalu Saldanha ’20

Ben Stone ’15

Did you know that four current and former LA faculty are published authors?

English Department Chair Laura Moore P’04, ’06, ’09 has published three volumes of poetry: Splendor (2021), Using Your Words (2017), and Yahoodips (2010). The first two are available from Kelsay Books and Amazon; Yahoodips is currently unavailable. Cover art for all of Laura’s books is by daughter Grace Moore ’06

Retired English teacher Mark (“Doc”) Haman P’02, ’04, ’09 has published Walt & Stumpy, a sequence of comic fictional stories about an elderly man and his tailless pet squirrel set at a pond in this part of New England. It is designed for people with youthful hearts, and it’s aimed at those who appreciate friendships (human and animal), wordplay, and well-earned happy endings. It’s available online at Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, and at a few local bookstores.

Joe Sheppard P’93, ‘94, retired college counselor and French teacher, has written two books about and for the LA community: Shep’s Places, a collection of stories from his “Shep’s Place”

column, originally published on the LA website, and Voices from the Hillside, an evocative picture of student life at LA in the mid-20th century as chronicled by the student reporters for The Elms, LA’s student newspaper for nearly 50 years. Both are available on Amazon. He has also recorded several audiobooks for Audible, the latest of which is Flying Dark, a fictionalbut-true tale of Charles Lindbergh’s various exploits.

Peter “Haz” Hazzard P’91, ’01, ’03, music teacher and webmaster from 1983 to 2013, has two books in print. Beyond the Baton: Helpful Tips and Suggestions for Planning, Preparing, and Performance is filled with tips and suggestions for choral, band, and orchestra conductors, both in school and in their communities. Allegro Con Molto Grazie: A Memoir of My Lives in Music is Haz’s memoir of how his two parallel careers in music — as composer and conductor — began and how they have supported and enhanced his work in both for more than half a century. Both his books are available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble.

OBITUARIES

Ken Sewall ’49, a retired General Electric senior human resources executive, died Jan. 17, 2024, at the age of 93. After graduating from Lawrence, he earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1953. While at Dartmouth, he was president of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.

That same year, Ken was one of 19 to be selected for General Electric’s newly formed 27-month human resource training program. After several assignments in the company’s many businesses, Ken went to work at corporate headquarters in 1972. In 1981 he moved to Pittsfield, Mass., where he worked with the Transformer Operation as the area human resource manager before going to work for Nicholas Boraski at GE Ordinance. Ken retired in 1992. He was an avid golfer and Red Sox fan, and was very active in community organizations during his career and after his retirement.

Ken was predeceased by his former wife, Barbara Nute Orr. He leaves his wife, Nancy (Whiting), as well as five children and their families.

Christele (Rubaud) Pinaud ’82 passed away on July 4, 2023. She leaves behind her devoted husband, Eric, and their two daughters, Camille and Chloe, who all reside in the French Alps, where Christele moved back to in her early 20s. Christele, who was born in France and lived in the U.S. between the ages of 12

and 23, was a spark of light to all who knew her. The Lawrence community helped her blossom and set her on the right path to discover her future career in midwifery. Her sister, Julie Rubaud, and mother, Nane DollPeyron, were happy to reconnect with Sabrina Jewell ’81 recently and share memories of Christele’s Lawrence Academy days.

Sabrina Jewell ’81 with Nane and Julie Rubaud in Brattleboro, Vt., February 2024.

Jane (Butkiewicz) Parker ’77 passed away peacefully on April 25, 2023, after a short but brave battle with cancer. A graduate of Barnard College and Boston College Law School, Jane was a practicing attorney for over 25 years, spending the last 18 years of her career in the legal department of W.R. Berkley Corporation. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of the insurance world, and those who had the good fortune of working alongside her all learned something from her.

Jane leaves her siblings Vinny Butkiewicz ’75, Tricia Butkiewicz Parsons ’78, Mary Ann Butkiewicz Mahoney ’80, and Peter Butkiewicz ’81; her daughter, Isabella; and many nieces and nephews whom she loved as if they were her own.